Lourdes College (Cagayan de Oro)

Lourdes College

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Former names	San Agustin Parochial School Lourdes Academy Lourdes Junior College
Motto	Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini
Motto in English	The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
Type	Private
Established	1928
Founder	Archbishop James Hayes, SJ
Affiliation	PAASCU
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
Location	Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, 9000, Philippines 8°29′N 124°38′E / 8.48°N 124.64°E / 8.48; 124.64Coordinates: 8°29′N 124°38′E / 8.48°N 124.64°E / 8.48; 124.64
Campus	Main Campus (Capistrano-Hayes Sts.): Higher Education Department (HED) Macasandig Campus: Integrated Basic Education Department (IBED)
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Website	http://www.lccdo.edu.ph

Lourdes College is a private, Roman Catholic college located in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, managed by the Religious of the Virgin Mary congregation. It is a member of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). The school has two campuses: the Integrated Basic Education Department (IBED) in Barangay Macasandig, and the Higher Education Department (HED) on Capistrano-Hayes Sts.

In 1928, Archbishop James Hayes, SJ, founded San Agustin Parochial School for both elementary boys and girls. Soon after its establishment, the school was divided into boys and girls divisions. The latter became Lourdes Academy, managed by the RVM sisters, while the former, today’s Xavier University, was run by the Jesuits.

A decade after, a year following the graduation of the first high school students, it became Lourdes Junior College, at the same time offering Junior Normal and Home Economics courses. The next four years were a period of difficulty for the school, with the brand-new buildings razed by fire on May 2, 1939, and the onset of World War II hampering normal school operations.

In 1947, two years after resuming normal operations, the school became Lourdes College, after offering Teacher Education for the first time. A two-storey building was constructed along Real St. (now called Capistrano St.) in 1952, with a third floor added the year after. Then in 1965, the seven-storey Library and Science Building was constructed. This was Cagayan de Oro’s first high-rise structure, as well as becoming one of the city's landmarks.

In 1970, the Grade School Level was transferred to a three-hectare land in Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro, together with Xavier University Grade School. The two schools were located in a three-storey complex, and the agreement included the sharing of common school facilities.

Six years later, a self-survey took place at all three school levels, under the leadership of the Directress, S. Ma. Lourdes Palacio, RVM, following the guidelines laid out by PAASCU. This was followed by a more intensive self-survey in the school year 1977-78. Then in 1979, the PAASCU formal survey was conducted, which resulted in granting the school a three-year accredited status. In 1980, the school underwent another PAASCU survey; both the Grade School and High School were awarded a five-year accredited status, while the Education and Liberal Arts Programs were granted a seven-year accredited status.